Experimental study on turbulent natural convection of air between the open-ended parallel plates with one-side heating

Abstract

In the present study, experiments on the turbulent natural convection of air for PAS were carried out. The heat transfer and flow rate induced by buoyancy were investigated. When the heated wall is inclined upward, the heat transfer coefficient increases with the decrease of inclination angle. And the pressure loss along the channel decreases because of the decrease of the velocity gradient. Based on the experimental data, the heat transfer correlation and mass flow rate correlation considering the influence of inclination angle were proposed. And they are applicable to predict the heat transfer and flow rate for PAS. In addition, a criterion for classifying the mixed and natural convection was deduced. The research results can be applied in the analysis of the thermal-hydraulics of the PAS to improve the security of nuclear power plants.